This Is The First Verse
by electricallyxcharged
Summary: Dai McKenzie is the latest it girl. When she shows up at Ouran, Kyouya decides to gain the advantage his brothers never thought of: an influential girlfriend. Kaoru's loved her as an artist for ages, but will he get her before Kyouya can? KyouyaxOCxKaoru
1. My Life Has Become A Boring Pop Song

**A/N: Okay, everyone, I'm really sorry for not updating my VK fanfic, but this caught my attention! This character is based on myself, so sorry if it offends anybody or if it seems weird, these are just my thoughts. Plus, all the music, unless stated so in this fanfic belongs to me.**

**Disclaimer: I was unfortunately forcibly removed from the Ouran Gakuin after I attempted to kidnap The Host Club. And it was going to work too!**

* * *

Moonlight filtered down through the enormous, rain-misted glass windows and cast an eerie light over the deep blue carpet of the floor. It glinted off the chrome-trimmed furniture and painted the white walls a faint blue-gray. The light lit the bottom steps of a pair of curved staircases that led up to a raised platform that was completely swathed in darkness.

Kyouya Ootori adjusted his glasses and returned to typing on his laptop. He was halfway through the Host Club's accounts when a row of alerts ran up the right side of his screen. The first was an alert from a bug he had installed in the school system. Apparently, a student named Dai McKenzie was being moved from class 1-D to class 1-A, effective tomorrow, the end of the 3-week-long school holiday. Kyouya resolved to do a little research on the girl, she might be a prospective customer.

The next alert was from a news channel that he subscribed to. Apparently, Dai McKenzie, a half-American, half-Japanese musician was topping both the Billboard and Japanese charts for the 5th week in a row with her hit debut single. She had been unavailable for comment, but her publicist had remarked that she was, of course, very happy.

The third alert was an email from Tachibana, letting Kyouya know that the level of security at the family company dinner had been upped with the addition of Dai McKenzie to the performance itinerary.

So much buzz about just one person. Kyouya indulged in his curiosity and ran a search for her on both Google and the school system. He glanced through the school system first.

The first thing that Kyouya noticed was her picture. She was tanned and… well, boring. She looked a little on the chubby side and her skin wasn't exactly perfect either. Her dark brown hair was pulled into an absolutely common ponytail and her eyes were a flat, dull, dark brown. Kyouya raised an eyebrow, _this_ was a star?

She was part of the music and poetry clubs and she was an average student. She was 5'4 tall and she played both the guitar and the piano. Her favourite subjects were English, World History, Modern Literature, Art and Music. She normally ordered the stuffed pasta shells with a Ceasar salad for lunch and she always got a chocolate soufflé for dessert. She lived in a mansion a few miles out of Tokyo, about 45 minutes from the Ouran Academy. She had been absent several days before the 3 week holiday due to press conferences, concerts and photoshoots. Kyouya frowned, she was normal, unremarkable: exactly the type for the Host Club. What made her so unique that she was a chart topper?

He opened up the Google search and raised his eyebrows in surprise. The photos that popped up under the image search were of a strong, vibrant young woman having the time of her life on stage. The two pictures couldn't have been more different. Her eyes wre bright and excited. Her hair hung in loose curls around her shoulders. She was a little bit skinnier, not by much, but just right. She looked happy, exuberant.

Kyouya looked up a few reviews of her album. She was praised for being able to sing both jazz and her own style of acoustic pop. The jazz was probably what his father hired her for, Kyouya decided. It was the perfect entertaining move. The senior citizens would appreciate the standard jazz classics and the younger guests would be impressed with her name and popularity. The perfect move…

A thought occurred to Kyouya. The girl seemed to have media staying power to have been on the chart for 5 weeks and she was, by all accounts, squeaky clean, morally. The private police didn't have any dirt on her, for sure, because he would have been notified of it the moment she hit the charts.

Plus, he admitted, she was prettier than most girls in an exotic kind of way. It wouldn't hurt to affiliate himself with her. She went to Ouran so he had the upper hand over his father and his brothers. With her newly acquired status, she was bound to head straight for the Host Club after school. Whatever her issue was before (self-confidence?) she was bound to have resolved it to have made it this far.

Kyouya smiled to himself. All he had to do now was wait to lure the latest kitten into his lair.

* * *

Kaoru Hitachiin was bored and annoyed. If he were just bored or just annoyed, it wouldn't be so bad. _But no_, he thought. It had to be both.

He stretched, then nestled against the pillows in the seat of his bay window, looking for a comfortable spot. He'd stolen the quilt off his bed and was currently attempting to drown out the sound of his brother's heavy, agitated pacing by getting as close as possible to the heavy pouring rain outside.

A loud crash sounded from the room next to him and Kaoru rolled his eyes. He was used to Hikaru's routine of worry, doubt, guilt, frustration then anger over the whole "Haruhi Situation". He loved his brother and he did his best to help and support him but sometimes, the repetitive cycle of arguments and emotions just became one big ball of annoying.

Kaoru sighed and stuffed his earphones into his ears, skipping through the songs on his iPod until he found what he was looking for. He smiled when the guitar riffs of his favourite song filled his senses.

_Dai McKenzie_, he thought absently. Who would have guessed she looked as gorgeous as she sounded. He'd been mesmerized since he'd first found her a year ago, on some random run through the internet. He couldn't play any instrument particularly well, much less compose songs, but he found a crazy kind of release in her songs. Almost as if he was writing and singing them himself.

"_Is that all I am to you, _

_Just another missed call?"_

He smiled wryly. That girl seemed to be peeping into his life and pouring it out to the world. He felt exactly like Hikaru was starting to need him less and less. Not loving him any less, but requiring him less. He knew he'd brought it on himself but it didn't mean he had to like it.

He stared out into the dark night sky and winced as a flash of lightning shot across the indigo mass. He snuggled into the pillows and pulled the quilt up to his chin. He would have to thank her one day. For tonight and for every other night of the past 2 months…

* * *

­­­­­­­­­­

Dai McKenzie filled nervously with her new uniform. It was 2 sizes smalled than her old one and it was still all new and scratchy. She hadn't bothered getting a new uniform until the holidays, she'd been losing weight almost constantly up til then. It didn't make sense to buy a new one then have to buy yet another 2 weeks later.

She jumped when the limousine pulled up in front of the school. Her new bodyguard/driver Benson rolled down the window between the driver's seat and the passenger side.

"You'll be fine, Dai," he said, reassuringly.

"I know, I just need a moment," she replied. She'd grown to like Benson over the past few weeks.

She sighed and tightened her grip on the door handle. She was afraid, she decided. She was afraid because she didn't know what to expect.

Would everyone treat her like some kind of celebrity? She didn't think she deserved that kind of treatment and she wouldn't know what to do or say. Or would everyone hate her for garnering more (annoying) media attention than their parents' latest business deals? She didn't know what to say to that either. Or ( a small flame of hope flickered in her chest) would they simply act like nothing had happened and allow her to live her day in peace.

"Whatever it is, Dai," Benson broken her reverie. "You'll have to face it sooner or later."

"I know," Dai was used to his weird way of almost reading her mind. She took a deep breath and opened the door. "Thanks, Benson. Bye."

She shut it behind her and made her way uncertainly into the crowd of students in the lobby. She had let her long fringe down to give her some measure of privacy and she kept it down as she walked along the corridor of classes. Then she realized she was supposed to be moved to Class 1-A today. She looked up, trying to read the sign above the nearest door –

"KYAAAAAAA!!"

"It's HER! It's DAI MCKENZIE!!"

"Dai McKenzie!"

"Dai McKenzie!"

"Dai McKenzie!"

Suddenly, she was surrounded by a horde of screaming fangirls (and guys), characteristically screaming at the top of their lungs, all the while maintaining a 4 foot radius of space around her. Almost like a bubble. For a moment, she had a heated mental argument with herself about whether she should just stuff her fingers in her ears or run screaming home. A bubble, she wondered…

She moved experimentally a few feet to the left. The bubble swelled with her. She moved a little to the right and the invisible barrier moved with her. She determinedly sent their screams to the back of her head and marched along the corridor, as quickly as she could, keeping an eye out for Class 1-A. She tried her best to tune them out, but bits of the conversation around her filtered through her barriers.

"Dai McKenzie!"

"I can't believe she's HERE!"

"She's actually moved to our school! Right here, to Ouran!"

Dai bit her lip and kept walking. Of course, no one would have noticed her before her change from back-row student to a-list pop star. She almost wanted to scream at them, to lash back at them for being so superficial, but it was almost all she could do to hold back the frustrated drips threatening to leave her eyes.

The bell rang and her newfound fan club slowly began to diminish. She sighed in relief. She'd been starting to develop a headache. She pushed open the door labeled 1-A and looked around the classroom. She was glad no one screamed at her, although all eyes were glued on her and she did hear a few gasps.

She wasn't surprised, Class 1-A was made up of the elite of her year. The wouldn't be phased by the new "it girl" (she almost gagged as she thought of the title). She took a seat at the back of the classroom, as close to the far right corner as possible. She hated being in the limelight and staying at the back would at least make it harder for them to stare at her.

One boy didn't seem to be perturbed by her purposely awkward positioning. He just kept up his wide-eyed stare. Dai frowned, taking out her books. She could feel his eyes on her as she took out a pen and began doodling on the side of her notebook. She risked a glance at him. Ah, one of the Hitachiin twins. One of the boys in that inane Host Club. Now that she took the time to analyze the room, she realized his brother and the scholarship student Haruhi Fujioka was in this class too. She never understood why someone would pay to keep company with a bunch of boys who kept company with every other girl on campus. She wondered how new customers picked their hosts. Had they simply picked one at random?

She'd never gone to the Host Club herself, always blaming the fact that she couldn't see it's point. To be honest, she didn't feel worthy of being on the Host Club's guest list. They were all gorgeous boys who seemed, to put it bluntly, to be WAY out of her league. She wasn't fully Japanese, let alone half as rich as some of them and she wasn't exactly a-list material. All of that was different now, but she wouldn't be going to the Host Club. She wasn't one of those girls who just fold and fall into being divas at their first exposure to the public eye. She would be different.

Dai looked up and frowned at the boy. He was still staring at her. What was his problem?

* * *

Kaoru winced and rubbed his shin where someone had just landed a well-placed kick.

"Kaoru?"

He was aware that someone wanted his attention but it didn't fully register in his consciousness. He was too busy trying to decide is this was real or if his alarm hadn't woken him up today.

"Kaoru-kun?" Haruhi's voice broken through his reverie. "You have to face the blackboard now."

Kaoru reluctantly turned to face the teacher. Hikaru kicked him again. He cringed. "What's was that for?" he whispered tersely.

"What's wrong with you, man?" Hikaru whispered back. "Who's she?"

"She's…. but she can't be… no way…"

"Okaaay, very descriptive. Tell me when you're going to start making sense," Hikaru eyed him suspiciously for a moment then understanding lit his eyes. "It's _her_?"

Kaoru nodded, still shell shocked and not trusting himself to speak. "She's here."

* * *

­

"Kyouya!" Kyouya's aura threatened to flare up. Tamaki was invading his inner peace again. _Calm_, he told himself. His aura subsided. Unfortunately, Tamaki didn't notice. "Kyouya, did you hear? Dai McKenzie is in Ouran! And-"

"And she's in Class 1-A, which is the same class as Haruhi, Hikaru and Kaoru," Kyouya finished for him. Their class was having a free period in the library and he was determined to make the most of it by completing this book on accountancy. He needed a break from plotting anyway.

"Kyouya, we _must_ introduce her to the joys of our glorious club," Tamaki affected a pose and produced a rose out of nowhere. "I'm _sure_ she would appreciate my princely beauty. It isn't very often that God creates someone quite so beautiful from every angle!"

"Mm," Kyouya grunted. _Stupid blonde_, he thought.

"We should get Hikaru and Kaoru to rope her in!" Tamaki continued, almost bouncing with excitement. "We should let my darling dau-" he choked off for a moment, the blushed, remembering recent events that would convince him she was much, much more than just his "pet daughter".

"There isn't any need for us to intervene," Kyouya said, covering the awkward moment. "I'm fairly certain she will come to us on her own."

"Why?" Tamaki asked, straddling a chair and crossing his arms over the top of its back.

"She has been in Ouran since she was in middle school," Kyouya replied. He looked up momentarily to catch Tamaki's wide-eyed, slack-jawed expression.

"W-Why hasn't she come to the Club before?" Tamaki stammered, still reeling.

"An old love interest?" Kyouya shrugged. That wasn't all that difficult to take care of, if the situation arose. "Maybe self-esteem issues?" That wouldn't be a problem anymore, she was at the top of her game. "Whatever the issue, I'm certain it is no longer blocking her from attending the next Host Club gathering."

"Hmm," Tamaki stroked his chin, probably thinking up some other harebrained scheme.

"By the way," Kyouya added, adjusting his glasses again. "All of the Host Club is invited to the family dinner tomorrow night."

* * *

**Omake:**

"Kyouyaaa, you said she'd be here!"

"…."

"Kyouyaaa!"

aura flares up

cowers in little corner of woe

"Kyou-chan doesn't like it when he gets something wrong, ne, Takashi?"

"Ah."


	2. Guess what? I'm done

**A/N: The rating has been reduced because I a plot bunny attacked and threatened me with a life of endless bubble-gum pop music if I didn't comply. It's most probably going to stay at T, so enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran, but boy, if I did...  
**

Dai rolled her eyes as the stylist fussed over her hair and touched up her make up. If there was one thing she hated most about being a celebrity, it was the make up. It felt like a heavy mask she had to wear to conceal herself from the world. As if she hadn't had to do that anyway.

A stage hand knocked on the door and peeked in to remind her that she had five minutes before she was scheduled to perform and that she had to enter from stage left. She smiled as convincingly as she could and thanked him then shooed the stylist away. She needed the last few minutes alone.

She settled a hand on her stomach and tried to quiet the butterflies that were determined to make her lose the cream crackers she'd snacked on the way to the Grand Ballroom at the M Hotel, Tokyo. She walked up to the door, did a few quick breathing exercises and said a quick prayer to dispel her doubts then made her way to stage left. She stayed hidden behind a thick royal purple curtain as a smattering applause followed the thud of heavy footsteps on the stage steps.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," a man said. He had an interesting voice, Dai decided. It was rough in a way that made you think he could get (and probably had) everything he wanted but it was soft in a way that made you feel honored to be in his presence and that you were very much welcome. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for attending the 30th anniversary of the formation of the Ootori Group." A polite smattering of applause. "I'm sure you're already tired of me talking-"polite laughter "So without any further ado, please allow me to introduce our special guest and tonight's entertainment: Dai McKenzie."

Dai plastered on her stage smile, took a deep breath and stepped on stage.

* * *

The guests applauded Dai as she finally made her appearance on stage. Most returned to snacking on the entrees and cocktails placed on a long table that ran right through the middle of the room, but some made their way to the round dining tables along the walls. The dimly lit chandeliers cast a pleasant light on the faint purple décor.

Kyouya smiled. The crowd had suddenly fallen silent. The girl on stage was engaging, enchanting. She had started singing a slow swinging version of an English jazz song. Five minutes in and the whole room was under her spell. Well, except for a few guests who were already drunk.

He took a quick look at the Host Club. They had been given their own table and their parents had been placed in the table next to them. Even Haruhi had consented (aka. been forced to) attend with Ranka-san. Kyouya's father was mingling with the crowd, engaging important people in conversation and politely excusing himself early from the rest. Kyouya focused on his dinner, carefully minding his etiquette, of course. He wanted to finish quickly; there was a lot on his mind.

Dai McKenzie was an enigma. She hadn't shown up at the Host Club like he had expected and it frustrated him. Any normal 15-year-old girl would have loved the opportunity to flaunt her new status by getting with the "in" crowd. But the girl had acted as she always had, by all accounts.

She had eaten the same food for lunch, sat at the same table in the corner of the cafeteria and remained blushing and polite but quiet whenever spoken to. After school, she had gone straight home since the Music Club didn't have a meeting that day. School had returned on a Friday, simply to check up with the students before allowing them to recuperate from their holidays. The Music Club had meetings on Mondays.

_An enigma indeed_, Kyouya thought. He took a sip of his punch (non-alcoholic, of course. Impressions were important) and frowned. There was something he knew he was forgetting. He just couldn't remember what.

Kyouya excused himself and made his way to Tamaki who was chatting animatedly to a bemused Haruhi about something or other. She was fidgeting irately with the rather high hem of the pale pink dress that Hikaru and Kauro had forced onto her (the Host Club would be the only teenagers at the event, the rest of the guests were adults). Honey-sempai was delightedly polishing off a piece of cake under Mori-sempai's watchful gaze. Hikaru was staring at Tamaki with a passive-aggressive glint in his eyes. He had probably just conceded Haruhi's attentions to 'Tono' for the time being. Kaoru was… acting OOC?

He was staring too, but with a completely different cast to his features…

He was enraptured with the girl on stage. He moved imperceptibly with the music, tapping his foot or miming a piano solo with the tune. His eyes were locked onto Dai.

"Kyouya!" Tamaki called. "I'm telling Haruhi about that time you took me to Okinawa!"

"Don't forget Kyoto and Tokyo," Kyouya smiled at Haruhi's petrified expression, then almost regretted spurring Tamaki on. A reminiscing Tamaki… he shuddered at the though. "Honey-sempai, how do you like the cakes?"

"They're very, very yummy, Kyou-chan!" the little high school senior hugged his bunny. "Usa-chan likes them too! Doesn't he, Takashi?"

"Ah," Mori-sempai munched on his own slice of cake.

Kyouya took the empty seat next to Hikaru. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Oh," Hikaru started then blushed. "Yeah, thanks, Kyouya-sempai."

"Kaoru-kun?" Kyouya enquired. Kaoru merely tilted his head in Kyouya's direction. Kyouya frowned then made a mental note to have Tachibana look up his relationship with Dai McKenzie.

Kyouya excused himself and drifted through the crowd. Dai's set was 45 minutes long and he had plenty of time. He greeted the president of an electronics company, the owner of a chain of restaurants and a leading heart surgeon. In the mess of the crowd, you almost wouldn't notice the slow bee-line he made for the backstage entrance.

* * *

Kaoru was glad to be rid of Kyouya. He didn't care what anyone thought of his actions right now. He found himself hanging on to her every word. His heart felt like it was straining to keep its semi-normal rhythm. He had to get to her somehow. Maybe he'll talk to her tomorrow… No, he meant Monday. Yeah, Monday. Could he ask her for her autograph? That wouldn't be too cheesy, right?

Honey-sempai's shrill giggle burst his bubble of self-absorption. "Kao-chan, Hika-chan, Haru-chan! Dai-chan is in your class, ne?"

"Oh yes," Tamaki cried, rubbing his hands together enthusiastically. "What is she like? Did you get to talk to her?"

"She seemed scared," Haruhi commented. "It must be strange to have all these people suddenly rush up at her; especially on her first day of school."

"She's a celebrity," Hikaru added. "She should be used to it by now."

"I don't think anyone ever gets used to it," Haruhi squirmed uncomfortably at the thought.

Hikaru shrugged and kept his eyes on the stage, trying his hardest to keep his frustration and his rising blush out of Haruhi's and (especially) Tamaki's view. Kaoru knew that this was their first conversation of the night. Kaoru knew Hikaru was probably beating himself up mentally for not having anything better to say. He reached a hand out and intertwined his fingers with Hikaru.

"What did you think of her, Kao-chan?" Honey-sempai asked.

Kaoru abruptly stiffened. He couldn't tell them everything. What would they think if they found out he was some stupid fanboy? He let an ample silence settle.

"He's loved her music for ages," Hikaru supplied. "He was crazy about her music even before she got a recording deal."

"Wow," Haruhi said. "How does that work?"

"Well, you see," Hikaru started, excitement already twinkling in his eyes. He slowly let go of Kaoru's hand as he chatted animatedly to Haruhi about the inner workings on the music industry, completely with examples of various bands which Haruhi had probably never heard of.

Tonight's score: Tamaki – 01, Hikaru – 01, Kaoru thought cynically.

He turned away from them and re-focused all of his attention onto the girl on stage. He sighed and decided he couldn't wait for Monday.

Kyouya Ohtori smiled and clapped along with the rest of the crowd as Dai thanked them. He joined the tumultuous cheers as she announced that this would be her last song of the evening.

His cellphone buzzed in his pocket and he excused himself from the company of a fashion designer and examined the email he had just received.

_"Kyouya-sama,_

_Thank you for the marvelous vase you sent me. The bouquet of lilies you sent go perfectly with the white of the vase. It is my new favourite item. I __must put it up on my profile! By the way, I've found the most wonderful piece of music. It has the most simple, sweet melody._

_Your friend,_

_Mrs. Umeda"_

Translation:

_"Kyouya-sama,_

_The assignment was a success. I have good news. We were able to determine that the first target regards the second target as his favourite musician, according to his online profile. That's all the information we were able to get, but it does not seem to be anything more complicated._

_Tachibana"_

So that was Kaoru's fixation with her. That wouldn't be a problem. He most likely simply admired her music since Tachibana couldn't discover anything else. He would make contact with her tonight and make her a regular customer by the end of the month.

"Kyouya!" he heard Fuyumi call from somewhere behind him. He sighed and pushed up his glasses then continued his carefully plotted course through the masses. He still couldn't shake that nagging feeling of forgetting something vitally important…

* * *

Kaoru sat bolt upright. He didn't have to wait til Monday to talk to her. She was right here! He could talk to her tonight.

"Kao-chan?" Honey-sempai looked up from his cake. "Are you okay?"

"Um… yeah," Kaoru replied. "I'm just going to take a walk. My legs are kind stiff."

"Oh, okay," the minute blonde responded. Nobody else seemed to notice Kaoru leaving the table.

He slipped through the crowd, working out conversations in his head. He felt nervous about her, like he wanted to make a good impression. He felt shy: something he hadn't ever felt about a girl, even when he'd had that little thing for Haruhi. He couldn't understand –

"Hitachiin-san!" someone called. _Oh great_, he thought. A small crowd gathered around him, determined on schmoozing with a Hitachiin heir. Kaoru wanted to scream in frustration. This was going to be a long night.

**A/N: Who will**** reach Dai first and what is Kyouya forgetting? Next chapter will hopefully be up before the 20th of Nov. :)**


	3. It's The Way You're Looking At Me

"Thank you, goodnight!" Dai said into the microphone. She disappeared behind the curtain, leaving the enthusiastic but politely restrained applause of the crowd. The adrenaline was still rushing through her veins and her heart was pounding in her ears. She stumbled into her dressing room and fell unceremoniously onto the couch, willing her heart to slow down.

"Good evening, Mackenzie-san," a smooth male voice sounded from the dressing table. Dai jumped and sat up, straightening her dress (it was starting to display a little too much "somethin'-somethin'" than she was quite ready to give away).

"Oh, hello," Dai fought to keep her surprise out of her voice. "Didn't see you the-"

A gorgeous young man was casually leaning against her dressing table, his black eyes dancing with enchanting self-assurance behind his glasses. His black jacket and trousers accentuated the pale translucency of his skin, making it almost glow in the light of the bulbs lining the floor length mirror.

"I'm Kyouya Ootori," he smiled.

"Oh! Ootori-san!" Dai said, standing up then dipping into a bow. "Thank you very much for allowing me to perform at your event."

"There's no need to be so formal," he smiled. "We _are_ in the same school."

"Kyouya-sempai," Dai corrected herself. "Thank you."

Kyouya laughed. "Are you sure I've done you a service? You look exhausted."

"I am," Dai replied. "But it's part of the job description. I'll be fine."

"I have a seat for you outside if you would like to join the other gests," Kyouya gestured in the general direction of the hall.

"I'd love to," Dai smiled. Food fear of crowds any day. "I'm ravenous."

"Wonderful, would you like me to escort you there?" His voice made Dai's stomach flutter.

"Actually, I was planning on having a shower first. It's probably best if I don't keep you waiting. I'm sure there are other guests to attend to."

"Yes," Kyouya smiled. "But none as important as you." He paused then moved forward and held her hand. "Duty does call, though, and I have to attend to the masses."

"I understand," Dai fought to keep her voice steady. "Should I look out for you later?"

"Of course," Kyouya replied, his eyes dancing with an entirely different kind of light. He gently kissed her hand before releasing it. "Please, do not hesitate to engage me if anything is not to your liking."

"Oh, no no no," Dai blushed beet red. "Everything has been wonderful."

"Then please excuse me," Kyouya bowed and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Well, hummana, hummana, hummana," Dai said to herself, sink back onto the couch. Who'd have thunk she'd be having heart palpitations over a member of that stupid Host Club – and the vice president, at that! She sighed. He was gorgeous, though she decided. And incredibly cool, polite and absolutely charming.

Dai ran a frustrated hand through her hair then started to gather the things she needed for her shower. Everything was changing in ways that she didn't know she liked.

Kaoru finally made it to the backstage entrance, mentally cursing every single person who had stopped him in his tracks to chat. He had kept conversations to a bare minimum and it had still taken him half an hour to cross the hall.

Damn them, he thought as he pushed open the backstage door. He had to act on the impulse he had now or he'd just go back to his mental drawing board of conversations. He'd never been shy about a girl before but this left him completely stumped. What do you say to your idol/celebrity crush who also happened to be your gorgeous new classmate?

Kaoru turned a corner and strode head-long into Kyouya.

"Kyouya-sempai," Kaoru gasped, his resolve wavering. "Is Dai Mckenzie – I mean is she…"

"Mckenzie-san is taking a shower before she joins the other guests," Kyouya pushed his glasses back into place. "She will join us shortly. I would like to introduce her to the Host Club."

"Oh," Kaoru said. "Umm, would it be okay if I went to meet her first?"

"Hmm," Kyouya didn't see how it could hurt his plans. "I don't see why not. Her door has a name plaque."

"Thank you so much, Kyouya-sempai," Kaoru's eyes lit up again. He slipped past Kyouya and disappeared down the corridor.

Kyouya stared after him. That funny sensation of forgetting something now mixed in with the growing suspicion that he had made a big mistake.

­­­­Dai stretched and fninshed toweling the ends of her hair. She hasn't expected the bathroom adjoining her dressing room to have a bathtub, let alone a whirlpool Jacuzzi complete with an array of aromatherapy oils. She was glad that she'd had the good sense to use her cell phone to put a half an hour limit to her time in the bathroom. She could've gladly spent all night.

She sped through her make up and pulled on a long black dress before re-doing her hair. She pulled the door open and almost tripped on something in the hallway.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" she said, catching herself on the door frame.

"No, it's- uh- my fault, I mean- I'm sorry," a blushing red-haired young man jumped to his feet from his seat outside her door and nervously kept his eyes on his shoes.

"Hitachiin-san?" Dai's eyes widened in shock. "Hajimemashite."

"Hajimemashite," Kaoru replied. He hesitated for a moment then sank into a bow. "I'm a-a huge fan," he stammered to the floor. "I-I love y-your music." He stood up and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh... I just wanted to tell you that."

Dai blushed under his wide emerald eyes. "I… wow, thanks," she said. "I'm sorry, I just don't know what to say." She stared at the floor in turn.

"Yeah…" Kaoru trailed off, suddenly frustrated that his preparations and plans hadn't included what to say to her after he told her he loved her work. "Seriusly, I'm your biggest fan."

"Well, you might have some competition," Dai laughed suddenly. "There's this person who's loved my music since I first started posting my music on the web." Dai didn't know why she suddenly felt so relaxed. He was just easy to talk to, she guessed.

"Gemini11?" Kaoru asked sheepishly

"THAT WAS YOU?" Dai shrieked then covered her mouth. Kaoru had flinched, she was a lot louder than she'd intended. "Uh… sorry, but-wow."

"Yeah," Kaoru answered, smiling shyly. "I can't believe you're in Ouran though."

"Haha, yeah," Dai tried her best to sound genuine. So he was one of them: the people who hadn't noticed her without the singles and the make up. But then again, everyone was one of "them".

"Um, Mackenzie-san, do you want me to show you the way out to the party?" Kaoru asked, offering her his arm.

"Yes, thank you," Dai smiled, taking the offered limb. "And it's just Dai."

"Dai-chan," Kaoru smiled.

"Kaoru-kun," Dai smiled back.

Their smiles stayed fixed all the way out into the ballroom.

Kyouya tapped his foot impatiently on the carpeted floor, pointedly ignoring Honey-sempai's ceaseless chatter to Tamaki and Haruhi's blushing replies to Hikaru's awkward sentences. Where was Dai? He had left her half an hour ago and he had passed Kaoru at least ten minutes ago.

_Dai… _he thought to himself. She had been almost too easy. She was already at least partially under his spell and he had most certainly left her with a good impression. He found himself eagerly awaiting the challenge of luring her into his clutches with such permanence as to allow him to inherit his father's empire. And with his skills, she wouldn't ever fade into obscurity, ensuring their perpetual popularity. And it wasn't as if she was absolutely revolting. She was actually quite attractive…

And he still couldn't quite remember what it was that he had forgotten.

"Kyouya-chan?" Honey-sempai broke into his thought process. "Why did you put out an extra seat in our table?"

"That's for-"

"Everyone," Kaoru's voice sounded from across the table. He had a blushing Dai Mackenzie on his arm. "Meet Dai-chan."

"Hello," Dai said softly, shyly taking in everyone's faces. Tamaki was the quickest to recover.

"Ooyasuminasai, hime" he said, taking her other hand and placing a soft kiss across her fingers. "I'm Tamaki Suoh. I hope Kaoru has been a pleasant escort."

"Oh, he's been wonderful," Dai smiled at Kaoru's blush. "It's nice to meet you, Suoh-sempai."

At that, the rest of the Host Club rushed over to welcome Dai. Something seemed odd in her expression, though, Kyouya noticed.

"Dai-chan, meet Usa-chan!" Honey-sempai shoved the bunny at her.

"Wow, Kaoru hasn't stopped talking about you," Hikaru and Haruhi said at the same time. They both blushed and looked everywhere but at each other. It was then that Dai seemed to realize something.

"Umm, Haruhi-san," Dai said hesitantly. "If you don't mind me asking, are you into cross-dressing or is this supposed to be a cos-play party that nobody told me about?"

The Host Club collectively paled, even Mori-sempai.

"Uhm…" Hikaru and Kaoru chorused, exchanging terrified glances.

"Well…" Tamaki trailed off.

"You see…" Honey-sempai began.

"I'm a girl," Haruhi stated.

The rest of the Host Club gaped in shock.

"Ah, I thought so," Dai said quietly.

"Really?" Haruhi frowned. "What made you guess?"

"Well…" Dai beckoned Haruhi to the side as the boys attempted to keep Tamaki from disintegrating. "If you _were_ cross-dressing, I doubt they would have left you with A-cups."

"Oh!" Haruhi blinked. "Very good point."

"Yeah," Dai smiled sheepishly. "If it's not too private, why do you dress up as a guy at school?"

"Actually, it was-"

"A tragic tale of lost love," Tamaki interrupted, clutching Haruhi's hand to his heart.

"No, it wasn't," Hikaru and Kaoru placed their hands on their hips.

"Are you sure you want to listen?" Kyouya smiled at Dai as he pulled her a chair. "It could get pretty boring."

"Boring?!" Tamaki exclaimed.

"Who do you think we are-" Hikaru grinned.

"A bunch of bowling balls?" Kaoru finished. "It's a great story."

"With lots of cake!" Honey-sempai chimed in.

"Cake?" Dai grinned. "Then I'll have to hear it," she said, sitting down.

Kyouya took the seat next to her and watched Kaoru's every move as he sat a few seats to her left. His eyes were locked on her but he seemed crestfallen. A strange jolt of anger sped through Kyouya's veins and he almost bent the spoon he was holding. The idiot had fallen for her, but that wasn't going to stop him. So why was he angry?

Dai laughed at something Tamaki had said and Kyouya felt a smaller jolt of the same anger wash through him. _It's because all of them are taking up your potential alone-time with her_, he told himself. _It doesn't mean anything…_

_­­­­­­_­­­­Kaoru smiled to himself as he watched Dai politely and almost imperceptibly evade all of Tamaki's come-ons. He wished he could be as relaxed as the rest of them were. His heart felt like it was going to burst.

He could hardly believe that he had talked to her and that she didn't think he was a completely idiot. Hikaru looked at him and smiled, seeming to read his mind, as always. For the first time that night, Kaoru smiled right back at him.


End file.
